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Graduate Program

UTCS has been a driving force from the beginning of the digital revolution. Our graduate program began in 1966, the same year DARPA started working on the project that became the Internet and more than a decade before Apple or Microsoft was founded. Today our program ranks consistently among the top 10 graduate programs in the country.

The foundation of the department's graduate program is its research. Particular areas of strength include Systems (hardware, software, and the interface between them), Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Networks, Security, Data Mining and Visualization, Bioinformatics, Theory, and Formal Methods and Verification.

Our graduate faculty is a group of over 40 award-winning leaders in the CS research community. They hold Turing Awards, they are members of the National Academies, and they serve as Presidential advisors. And they run research groups in which about 250 graduate students participate in world changing research efforts.

Our Ph.D. program is designed for students who wish to pursue research careers, either in academia or in industry. We encourage outstanding students to apply, including those in allied fields (such as mathematics or electrical engineering) who have a strong aptitude in computer science. There are 186 students currently pursuing their Ph.D.'s in the department. Students who know that they want to pursue a Ph.D. are encouraged to apply directly to the Ph.D. program, even if they have not already earned a Master degree.

Our Masters program is intended as a terminal degree. It is designed for two types of students:

Those who have a bachelor's degree in CS or a related field and want to broaden and deepen their knowledge of computer science, typically to enhance their careers in industry.

Those who have a degree in a field other than CS and want to prepare themselves for computing careers. These students should read the masters degree requirements to see if they meet the background requirement for admission to the CS Masters program.

Admission to our graduate program is very competitive. Click here for more on how to apply and to find out more about our student body.